1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for accessing network resources via the Internet or another wide area network. In particular, the present invention relates to systems and methods for selecting one or more points of presence for use by a client system to access the Internet or another wide area network, wherein the points of presence are selected based on cost or reliability considerations.
2. The Prior State of the Art
As the use of the Internet has increased over recent years, the number and availability of Internet service providers has likewise increased. Internet service providers operate points of presence (POPs), which include modem pools permitting users to access the Internet. In a typical arrangement by which home or business users gain access to the Internet, the users enter into a contractual agreement with an Internet service provider, whereby the user is allowed to access the Internet by means of a POP operated by the Internet service provider. Users typically prefer POPs that can be accessed by a local telephone call in order to minimize telephone expenses associated with dialing in to the POPs.
There are currently two primary billing arrangements used by Internet service providers to serve individual or business users. First, some Internet service providers allow access to POPs on an hourly basis. Second, other Internet service providers permit users to access POPs at a flat periodic rate, such as a flat monthly rate. In the first arrangement, users pay only for the time that they use, and therefore have the incentive to limit access time. Under the second arrangement, users have unlimited access and have little incentive to limit access time. Traditionally, heavy Internet users have favored flat fee POPs, while relatively light users have preferred hourly rate POPs.
While the forgoing model has been used by many Internet service providers and individual users, it has exhibited several problems in practice. For example, individual users who contract with one Internet service provider may have access to only one POP. If the assigned POP experiences heavy loads during, for example, peak hours of use, some users are likely to experience busy signals and are unable to access the Internet. If the user desires to ensure access to the Internet at all times, the user often must choose a more expensive alternative. For instance, users can choose the costly alternatives of subscribing to multiple Internet service providers or paying a premium to have access to multiple POPs or to a POP that is reliably available at all times. In addition, Internet users find it inconvenient to switch service providers for several reasons. For example, switching Internet service providers often requires significant time and effort, and can require the user to obtain a new e-mail address, which can cause disruption of normal receipt of e-mail.
In response to the unreliable access that has been frequently experienced by Internet users, there are now some organizations that act as brokers between Internet service providers and subscribers. In return for an hourly or a flat monthly charge, such brokers assume the responsibility of providing subscribers with reliable Internet access, which may require providing access to POPs operated by different Internet service providers. For example, an Internet access broker might enter into a contractual agreement with more than one Internet service provider in a particular geographic area, each of which operates one or more POPs. Subscribers of the Internet access broker can then access the Internet using any available POP as instructed by the Internet access broker. From the standpoint of the subscriber, using an Internet access broker is desirable because reliability can be greatly improved.
Internet access brokers typically deal with Internet service providers that offer access to POPs on hourly rates or flat fees. In addition, some Internet service providers charge Internet access brokers for POP access according to a third model, in which the access costs are proportional to the maximum number of ports at the POP that are simultaneously used by subscribers during any period of the billing cycle. To illustrate, if ten ports are simultaneously used by subscribers of a particular Internet access broker at a peak time during a month, the Internet access broker is charged a rate based on ten ports.
Internet access brokers may have hundreds or more subscribers in a given geographical area, who are served by a large number of POPs. The success of an Internet access broker can depend on the ability to effectively instruct subscribers to access POPs that provide reliable service and are also cost effective. However, it has proved to be difficult to manage the Internet access of many subscribers so that Internet service is delivered reliably and efficiently.
In view of the foregoing, it would be an advancement in the art to provide systems and methods for permitting Internet access brokers to instruct subscribers to access POPs in a manner that results in reliable service to the subscribers and cost-effective load distribution for the brokers. It would be particularly useful for such techniques to be compatible with the various billing arrangements employed by Internet service providers and flexible enough to adapt to billing arrangements that may be used in the future.